Curl occurs in layered photoreceptors primarily since each layer has a different thermal contraction coefficient, or due to shrinkage during the fabrication process. In particular, the charge transport layer usually has a higher contraction coefficient than the photoconductor supporting substrate. In forming the imaging member, the charge transport layer may be formed from a solution which is then heated or otherwise dried. As a result of the aforementioned mismatch, the higher contraction coefficient causes the imaging member to curl as the imaging member cools from the higher drying temperature down to ambient temperature. The anticurl backside coating (ACBC) layer is applied to flatten or substantially flatten the substrate.
In embodiments, the photoconductors disclosed herein include an ACBC layer on the reverse side of the supporting substrate of a belt photoconductor. The ACBC layer, which can be solution coated, such as for example, as a self-adhesive layer on the reverse side of the substrate of the photoreceptor, may comprise a number of suitable materials such as those components that may not substantially effect surface contact friction reduction and prevents or minimizes wear/scratch problems for the photoreceptor device. In embodiments, the mechanically robust ACBC layer of the present disclosure usually will not substantially reduce the layer's thickness over extended time periods to adversely effect its anticurling ability for maintaining effective imaging member belt flatness, for example when not flat, the ACBC layer may, but not necessarily will, cause undesirable upward belt curling which adversely impacts imaging member belt surface charging uniformity causing print defects which thereby prevent the imaging process from continuously allowing a satisfactory copy printout quality; moreover, ACBC layer wear also produces dirt and debris resulting in dusty machine operation condition. Since the ACBC layer is located on the reverse side of the photoconductor, it does not usually adversely interfere with the xerographic performance of the photoconductor, and decouples the mechanical performance from the electrical performance of the photoconductor.
Moreover, high surface contact friction of the ACBC layer against the machine, such as printers, subsystems can cause the development of undesirable electrostatic charge buildup. In a number of instances with devices, such as printers, the electrostatic charge builds up because of high contact friction between the ACBC layer and the backer bars which increases the frictional force to the point that it requires higher torque from the driving motor to pull the belt for effective cycling motion. In a full color electrophotographic apparatus, using a 10-pitch photoreceptor belt, this electrostatic charge build-up can be high due to the large number of backer bars used in the machine.
Additionally, in embodiments the disclosed ACBC layers possess antistatic characteristics, and a tunable resistivity where, for example, the resistivity of the ACBC layer can be controlled and changed gradually depending, for example, on the glycoluril resin/polyacetal resin ratio amount selected. Thus, for example, the surface resistivity of the ACBC layer increased from about 1010 to about 1012 ohm/sq when the glycoluril resin/polyacetal resin ratio varied from about 2/1 to about 1/2, and where the glycoluril resin functions as the conductive component, and the polyacetal resin functions as the nonconductive component. Further, primarily in view of the crosslinked resin ACBC layer mixture nature, where the crosslinking percentage densities vary and can be, for example, of from about 50 to about 100 percent, from about 70 to about 95 percent, from about 60 to about 90 percent, or from about 75 to about 100 percent, the ACBC layer exhibited excellent adhesion, and substantially no peeling, to substrates such as the PEN substrate of Example I, and with a polymer like a polycarbonate (PC) selected as the overcoat on the photoconductor ACBC layer no or minimal peel resulted, and also where the overcoat is scratch resistant and solvent resistant.
A conductive ACBC layer enables, for example, the elimination of an active power supply used to discharge the back of the belt in a xerographic printing apparatus thereby resulting in a cost saving. When backer bars are inadvertently cleaned with certain solvents like methanol, the polarity of the triboelectrically generated (or friction generated) charge changes, and the discharge power supply actually adds charge to the belt (it can only operate with one polarity) creating high drag forces and belt steering issues, a disadvantage eliminated with the ACBC layer containing photoconductor of the present disclosure.
The present disclosure relates generally to electrophotographic imaging members, inclusive of photoconductors. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to photoconductors having enhanced durability, and as compared to a known polytetrafluoroethylene doped ACBC layer, a slippery surface, a higher bulk conductivity, and excellent mechanical wear characteristics, and where the ACBC layer is located on the side of the substrate opposite that of the imaging layers. Also, the ACBC layer of the present disclosure possesses, in embodiments, resistance to airborne chemical contaminants, which can decrease the photoconductor service life. Typical chemical contaminants include solvent vapors, environment airborne pollutants, and corona species emitted by machine charging subsystems such as ozone. Further, the photoconductor in a xerographic system is subjected to constant mechanical interactions against various subsystems.
The ACBC layer in this disclosure can be a two layer or single layer structure. In the two layer structure, the bottom layer adjacent to the substrate provides anticurl functionality, and the top layer adjacent to the bottom layer provides wear resistance, slippery surface, and antistatic properties.